About Sexual Abuse

			About Sexual Abuse

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Authors: Fred Ward and Betty Ward

Publisher: Unitarian Universalist Association

Pub. Date: 1990

Available From: UUA Bookstore

Theme and Description Offers exercises that help break the silence about abusive behavior. Focusing on information, pre vention, and reporting, the program is organized into sections that reflect the approach described in About Your Sexuality: initiation, interaction, investigation, and internalization.

Goals for Participants

To become aware of sexual abuse
To develop an understanding of sexually abusive behaviors
To discuss the issue of sexual abuse more comfortably
To probe feelings and attitudes about sexual abuse
To be more alert to potentially abusive situations
To explore ways to prevent such abuse
To learn ways to report sexual abuse.

Age Range Junior high to young adult--ages 13 to 30

Size of Group 8 to 15, preferably with an equal number of females and males (although ratios of 1 to 2 can still be effective)

Space Requirements A comfortable, attractive meeting room appropriate to the size of the group

Number of Sessions The entire 4-stage process may be offered in a weekly format of approximately 10 1- to 1 1/2hour sessions, or in a weekend retreat or summer conference setting. Programs offering About Sexual Abuse as part of About Your Sexuality or LIFT may opt to cover it in fewer sessions, selecting parts from each of the four stages that are appropriate for their group.

Length of Sessions The program is not divided into sessions, per sethough it uses the word "session" to indicate hour long segments. Leaders fit the processes into the group's scheduled format: 1 hour, 2 hours, or weekend.

Leader Training About Sexual Abuse should be led by a female/ male team that has participated in a district training workshop for this program and/or About Your Sexuality. Leaders should read the manual carefully, paying special attention to the section "Sexual Abuse Reporting."

Leader Preparation 2 to 3 hours per session

Strengths

Offers sensitive and practical guidance on how to handle a difficult topic
Goes beyond the simple "good touch, bad touch" concepts of sexual abuse into the complexity of motivation, detection, and effects of sexually abusive situations
Includes true stories of victims to help participants define and distinguish among different kinds of sexual abuse
Provides comprehensive resources for leaders, including an extensive bibliography Gives solid guidelines on reporting abuse.

Limitations

Requires leaders to take on a disturbing issue that may involve intense personal interaction with participants
Organized in large sections that do not always translate easily into "sessions."

Adaptability

Can be used on its own or as part of other UUA curricula, such as About Your Sexuality and Life Issues for Teenagers.
If used with the former, leaders could pass over the Orientation stage, as this is largely for group building.
May also be used effectively with different age levels, from teens to young adults, if participants are divided into groups of similar maturity.

Unitarian Universalist Values Written in the spirit of a free and open search for truth, the program reflects most UU values.